Halloumi and Honey Soufra: Niki Louca shares her beloved recipe

·

A few years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic, Niki Louca had a few filo sheets left over from making a small batch of baklava and decided to experiment with it to make a savoury soufra.

Using the basis of feta, Niki replaced it with halloumi, mint and of course, honey. Halloumi and honey are a match made in heaven. It is also loosely based on the Cypriot boureki which we make with halloumi, mint and honey, but with homemade filo. I added the cream, eggs and milk to give it a custard-like mixture. In the traditional boureki recipe, there is no cream, eggs or milk.  

The family, my harshest critics, gave it the thumbs up. It’s an easy and relatively quick recipe. Not too many ingredients are needed and it’s perfect for Sunday brunch and for cold days. Enjoy.  

Niki Louca from My Greek Kitchen shares her favourite recipe for Halloumi and Honey Soufra with The Greek Herald. You can follow her on Instagram @mygreekkitchen for more!

Ingredients

  • 200 gms grated halloumi
  • 15 sheets of fillo pastry (I use Antoniou brand)
  • 2 tsp dried mint
  • 4 large eggs
  • 400 gms thick cream
  • 300 gms full fat milk
  • 100 ml melted butter
  • 100 ml olive oil
  • Honey to drizzle

Method

  1.  Preheat oven to 180C fan force.
  2. Line a 30cm round baking tin making sure the baking paper exceeds the sides of the tin by 3-4 cm on all sides.
  3. Melt the butter and add the olive oil to it. Set aside.
  4. Starting at the narrow end of the fillo pastry, drizzle the olive oil/butter mixture with a pastry brush.  No need to spread it.
  5. Concertine the sheet (like a fan) right to the top and coil into a snail like shape.  Don’t do it tightly.  Continue to do the same with the remainder sheets and continue the coil shape until your baking tray is full.  Keep adding the new sheet to where the coil finished previously to create one large coil.
  6. Once all the sheets are done, butter the top of the fillo and bake for approximately 20 minutes till golden brown.
  7. In the meantime in a bowl, mix the grated halloumi, eggs, milk, cream, and mint together.  Set aside.
  8. Once the fillo sheets are golden brown, remove from the oven and lower your temperature to 160C.  Pour the halloumi mixture on to the fillo and with a knife move the pastry slightly so the mixture goes into all the nooks and crannies.  It is a thick mixture so don’t be alarmed.  It is crucial you do this step otherwise the halloumi will just stay on top and will not be evenly distributed through.
  9. Place back into the oven for a further 25-30 minutes till golden brown.
  10. Once cooked remove from the oven and leave it in the pan for about 10 minutes.
  11. Carefully remove soufra onto a board or platter and drizzle generously with honey.
  12. Best served warm.  Great for a morning or afternoon tea.

Niki Louca runs cooking classes in Melbourne. For more or to book classes visit My Greek Kitchen at www.mygreekkitchen.com.au or Instagram @mygreekkitchen. You can email Niki at: niki@mygreekkitchen.com.au.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

From family legacy to the Federal Court: A look into Justice Anastasis Liveris’ legal career

In an exclusive interview with The Greek Herald, the Greek Australian judge reflected on how he felt to achieve this major career milestone.

The Greek influence on Australian television

Among the many communities that helped shape TV culture were Greeks, whose presence both on and off screen left a lasting mark.

Critically endangered monk seal welcomes newborn on Karpathos island

The first Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) birth of 2025 has been confirmed on the island of Karpathos.

Campaigners celebrate as Milos luxury hotel project is halted

Environmental activists have welcomed the suspension of a controversial five-star hotel project on Milos’s world-famous “moon beach”.

Historic first: Greek chess player defeats reigning world champion

For the first time since the official establishment of the chess world championship, a Greek player has beaten the sitting world champion.

You May Also Like

PM Mitsotakis spends Christmas with soldiers of Kasos

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited on Wednesday (Christmas Day) the remote island of Kasos with the the Armed Forces and soldiers.

Saints Foodland in SA crowned world’s best supermarket

A family-owned supermarket in Adelaide’s north has officially been crowned the world’s best by its global peers in Vegas.

Labor Leader Anthony Albanese shares Easter message with Australia’s Greek community

Federal Labor Leader, Anthony Albanese, has sent a message to Australia's Greek community ahead of Orthodox Easter this Sunday.